Prayer to the Winds
by Hopeakaarme
Summary: Miroku is dead, or is he? Inuyasha is in denial. Miroku's surprise son, Kouga's pack, and Sesshoumaru's interference complicate matters further. Maybe it is all just Naraku's plot? Eventual shounen ai InuMiro SessKouga.
1. Pro: The Howl and the Hole

**Disclaimer:** I own very little.

**A/N:** Before JSSGS commented in a review to Flee or Fall that I should write an Inuyasha fic, I had never had anything to do with the series. Now, however, I've read most of it, and absolutely fallen in love. However, as my acquitance with the Inuyasha world is still quite fresh, I would appreciate it if you would point out any mistakes I make.

Also, this prologue is dedicated to JSSGS for being so confident I could "do all sorts of weird things with Miroku". Because that's exactly what I plan to do.

**Pairings:** At first Miroku/Sango and slight Inu/Kagome, later Inu/Miroku and Sesshoumaru/Kouga, as well as minor Ginta/Hakkaku. Yes, as in, they're gay. Deal with it.**  
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**Prayer to the Winds**

**Prologue**

_The Howl and the Hole_

"This is truly useless," grumbled Inuyasha, brushing a branch out of his way. "We'll never find anything."

"Well, then we should get back to the ladies, should we not," said Miroku cheerfully. "I am sure Kagome-sama won't be _too_ disappointed even if we do return emptyhanded. She is such a forgiving character."

At that, Inuyasha paled a bit. Most people would have probably never even noticed the minute change in the tone of his skin, but Miroku was used to reading him. Thus, the houshi knew he had won the argument.

Kagome, Sango, and Shippou were currently staying in Kaede's village, about a day's travel from where Inuyasha and Miroku were. In the meantime the two men were told to search the woods for a particular youkai. This youkai was supposed to possess a magical gem that had the ability to heal Kirara's paw, which had been severely injured in a recent fight against a fierce ogre. The two had protested a bit, of course, but the girls had absolutely refused to give in.

"Sango needs to stay here, caring for Kirara," Kagome had reasoned, "and I will keep her company. Shippou'll be better off with us anyway. It's not like you two couldn't handle a single youkai without us."

So, now they were wandering around, looking for a youkai Inuyasha was coming to believe didn't even exist at the first place. And the hanyou was now beginning to get _very_ frustrated.

That is, until he heard Miroku's yell. "Inuyasha!" the houshi called for him. "There is a mass of youki approaching! Either there is an incredible amount of youkai coming to this place, or an enemy far surpassing the power of even Naraku himself has chosen us as their new target of attack."

"Eh?" Inuyasha turned to look at Miroku, who now looked extremely serious. "I haven't smelled anything... So they must be coming under the wind. Excellent, though. I was getting bored here."

"Well, let us hope you will stay bored, too," Miroku said, gripping his staff. "Since if those youkai are all going to confront us, even with our skills we will have some difficulties with dealing with them all."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," commented the hanyou, pointing at something behind Miroku's back. "Since the bastards are fucking coming now!" His eyes glowed with excitement.

Truly. An enormous herd of youkai was speeding towards them. Noticing that there were some obviously more powerful ones among them, Inuyasha shouted, "I don't see any saimyoushou here. Suck up the weaker ones, and I will slay the stronger bastards!" With this he drew Tessaiga from its scabbard.

"I shall do that," Miroku promised. He reached for the rosary around his hand with his left hand.

"And if you see any saimyoushou, seal your hand or I'll fucking rip your arm off myself!" roared the hanyou before charging forward. Facing the largest youkai in sight, a strange mixture of an ogre and a tiger, he swung his blade fiercely and yelled, "KAZE NO KIZU!"

The demon was shredded apart, but two others immediately stole its place. With a fierce growl, feeling the excitement of battle rising within his chest, Inuyasha struck again.

For a moment he concentrated on taking down the stronger youkai. Among the noise of the youkai he heard the clashes of Miroku's staff and every now and then a yelled, "Kazaana!" The houshi must have been saving himself from sucking in too much evil aura. Well, that was just better for him.

It took him quite some time to deal with all the larger youkai, which seemed to all actively seek him out. Some of them were obviously poisonous, too -- it was only good he hadn't let Miroku deal with them with his kazaana. At last, however, he had slain the last of the stronger youkai, the lower ones trying to avoid his blade. Heading towards the sound of Miroku's staff, he again bellowed, "KAZE NO KIZU!" Rushing through the youkai, he swung Tessaiga to every direction. He arrived to Miroku just in time to see the houshi stumble.

For a moment time seemed to slow down for Inuyasha. He saw as Miroku stumbled and fell onto his back. The youkai screeched in delight and rushed forward, only Miroku's weakly raised staff there to stop them...

And they were all torn into pieces as Inuyasha stepped between them and Miroku and swung the Tessaiga. "You okay, bouzo?" he snapped sharply. In the inside he still felt frightened. Seeing Miroku so clearly in danger had terrified him, raising the same protective urge within him as the sight of Kagome in danger. Inuyasha didn't know what was the similarity between Kagome and Miroku that caused this, only that there was something. It wasn't a coincidence he had reached Tessaiga's true power while protecting Miroku.

"I'm okay," the human replied, getting back to his feet. "Let us take care of the rest of these creatures, shall we?" Had Inuyasha been paying attention he might have noticed how pale the houshi looked, as well as how he was sweating like under great strain. However, in his excitement about the battle he didn't notice.

They now got rid of the remaining youkai fairly quickly. Miroku sucked in as many demons as he only could without falling over from the evil aura, his staff and Tessaiga handling the rest. At last they stood in the middle of youkai remains and demonic blood, thankfully both uninjured.

"See? We fucking did it!" announced Inuyasha triumphantly. "Guess not even a thousand bloody youkai bastards can take us down, eh, Miroku?" Then, he frowned as he noticed just how exhausted his friend looked. This was most certainly unusual. "Miroku? What's wrong?" he demanded.

A brief, slightly bitter smile crossed the houshi's lips. "Poison," he replied. Then, uncaring about Inuyasha's obvious shock at this comment, he took a staggering step forward and started to fall.

"Miroku!" exclaimed Inuyasha, shocked. He rushed forward just in time to catch the falling form of his friend before he hit the ground. A clattering sound was heard as the houshi's staff fell from his grip.

"Inuyasha..." muttered Miroku, looking only half conscious. Inuyasha silently cursed himself for not noticing anything earlier. His human friend was pale, sweating, and clearly in pain. It should have been obvious!

"Hold on," the hanyou said desperately. "I'll carry you to the village. Kaede'll have you fixed before you know it." He started to arrange the houshi in his arms but was stopped by Miroku's hand on his arm.

"Don't, Inuyasha," the human said quietly. "Just... do not bother. The village is a day's travel hence, like you well know. I, however, will pass any pain in less than an hour. We both know that, my friend."

Inuyasha maybe knew it, but he absolutely refused to acknowledge the truth. "I'll be damned if I don't at least fucking try," he grumbled. It wasn't true. Miroku couldn't die, not like this. He wouldn't let him die.

"No, Inuyasha." Now Miroku's voice was a tad stricter than before. "Do not even try. Moving me as I am now would only make the venom spread, further shortening my already limited time of life. You don't want that, now do you, my friend?" A brief smile crossed his lips at these words.

Now Inuyasha sighed in defeat, knowing very well that his friend was right. So, he laid Miroku on the ground with extreme care, placing the houshi's head in his lap. He still didn't ask why Miroku had continued sucking in the poisonous youkai. Knowing Miroku, he most probably had done it just to keep the lower youkai off Inuyasha's neck. At times Miroku didn't appear to have any sense of self-preservation. In fact, had Inuyasha not known better, he would have thought the houshi was suicidal.

"This is better," Miroku murmured. "I just want to... rest for a while..." He was now sweating even more than before, and his breath was getting strained. All this most certainly did not help Inuyasha's mood.

"You can fight it, Miroku," Inuyasha said desperately, firmly resisting the urge to squeeze the hand he was now holding as hard as he could. "I know you can." Inside, however, he was painfully aware of the truth.

Miroku knew the truth as well, it appeared. "No, Inuyasha," he said quietly, his expression unusually serious. "I am but a human, and therefore I do not have much resistance for a youkai's poison, unlike you."

The houshi was now trembling badly, sweat drops rolling down his face as the poison took its toll on his body. Inuyasha again had to force himself to not crush the human's hand. Instead, he just supported the darkhaired head with his hand, trying to ignore the horrifying coldness.

"Tell the others that I will miss them," said Miroku, his voice still quiet. "And tell Sango... I love her..."

Inuyasha swallowed, lowering his head. "I will tell them," he whispered, "I promise I will."

While the helpless fear was holding the hanyou's heart in a freezing grip, Miroku himself actually managed to smile a bit. "Isn't this improper," he muttered, "for a houshi to die in a hanyou's arms." Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, to tell that Miroku would not die, but was silenced by a mere shake of the human's head. "There is nothing you can do for me anymore, my dear friend," the houshi said. "For once, I'd say. Thank you... for being here, though..." It was almost as if the last words were forcedly pulled from him.

Inuyasha swallowed again. He tried to tell himself that it was nothing, that Miroku would soon be fine, but deep inside he knew that wasn't true. There was no Myoga to suck the poison away, no Jinenji and his herbs or a healer capable of saving the pained man. As much as Inuyasha wanted to deny it, his best friend was going to die in his arms, and the strained speech reminded of that painful fact.

"Don't speak, Miroku," he pleaded with a voice thick with tears he wouldn't let fall. "Save your strength."

A shivering hand wandered up Inuyasha's chest, resting briefly over the knot on the string that crossed his chest. For a moment they both just watched the hand and the cloth that covered a part of it.

"My curse," muttered Miroku. "Who would have... thought? It didn't kill me... in the end, did it. At least... not directly." Inuyasha didn't reply; he just moved his left hand from holding Miroku's hand to his opposite shoulder, gently supporting the body that the houshi was painfully struggling to hold up now.

The hanyou did want to reply, wanted to say that it wasn't true, that Miroku wouldn't die, but he didn't. Miroku didn't need such lies; he himself did, and he wasn't even the one dying here. Humans' lives were over in the blink of an eye as far as Inuyasha, a practically immortal creature, was concerned, and he'd always wondered how they could accept such a short lifespan. Miroku, however, had for a long time been resigned to the fact that he wouldn't lie even as long as a usual human. He was simply not afraid of death anymore. Inuyasha, however, was afraid -- not of his own death, for that could be face if need be, but of the death of his friend, the best one of the few he ever had.

Now, however, the monk's eyes slid half shut. "I'm so tired..." he muttered, and Inuyasha he didn't mean it only as feeling sleepy. If he'd had Miroku's burdens to carry, he, too, would have been tired of the life itself for a long time already. Miroku, however, had fought on -- and now he no more had to.

It had to be a relief to his friend, the death, Inuyasha decided. After years of uncertainty with an early death looming over his shoulder, the actual end of his life, the knowledge that he wouldn't have to fight anymore, must feel liberating. As long as others weren't endangered, Miroku could actually welcome death.

For a moment now Inuyasha had sensed Miroku's ki slowly fading, a fact he had determinedly tried to ignore. Now, however, alarm bells went on in his head as his friend's life force fell dangerously low.

Miroku was now deadly pale and sweating despite the fact that his body felt icy cold. Still he managed to again summon a smile on his lips. With a very quiet voice, he said, "Sayonara... Inuyasha..."

The hanyou felt oddly numb as he watched Miroku's eyes slowly sliding shut. His sharp ears caught the sound of a faint breath struggling to leave the houshi's chest -- and then even that was away.

For a moment Inuyasha just sat there with Miroku's limp body in his arms, the harsh truth not quite registering in his brain. Then, however, the reality broke through, the reality of Miroku dying. Something inside the inu broke as his pack was torn apart. Overwhelmed by his youkai instincts, Inuyasha threw his head back and howled in pain, thus acknowledging the painful loss of a close pack mate and friend.

That was all he had time to do. He stopped howling to find a herd of youkai rushing towards him. They must have lingered nearby and used his distraction with Miroku on their advantage to get near enough to attack. Well, he'd be damned if he let them win. Growling deep in his throat, he stood up with Tessaiga.

What he hadn't taken into account, however, was that the previous battle had exhausted him. He was not even near to losing to these low youkai despite their number, but he was unable to stay on his footsteps. Slowly the flood of youkai forced him away from Miroku's lifeless body -- only a few steps, yes, but it was enough for his enemies. Using his distance on their advantage, a few of the larger youkai rushed forward and snatched Miroku's body from where it lay on the ground.

Now the sound that crossed Inuyasha's lips was a scream of rage. He dashed towards the offending youkai, not daring to use any special power of Tessaiga in fear of damaging his friend's body. However, those few fateful steps and the other youkai between him and Miroku were enough to let the youkai flee. The hanyou did leap into the air, attempting to follow and get back the corpse that was dear to him, but the youkai were fast and he was exhausted. So, he was left helplessly standing there, watching as his enemies carried away the lifeless body of his friend, most likely to be devoured.

The other youkai left one by one, seemingly no more interested in him, but Inuyasha hardly even noticed that. He just stood there in shock, staring at the spot where Miroku had lain just a moment earlier.

Then another howl was heard echoing over the now otherwise quiet battlefield. However, while the first howl had been purely that of loss and pain, this one was filled with unimaginable rage, hatred, and despair.

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"Okaa-san!" called out a child's voice full of fright. "Okaa-san, come here! Look at this!" 

A young woman in her twenties immediately turned towards the source of the voice, a boy of about five years of age. "What is it, Kaze?" she asked, her tone slightly worried at the obvious fear on the child's face.

"Look!" The boy held out his right hand. "Something stung my hand, and now there's a hole on it! And it sucks things in!" The boy now lifted his gaze from his hand to his mother, and was startled by the look of pure shock he saw on her face. "...Okaa-san? What is it?"

Slowly, as if in a dream, the woman brought her fingers to the rosary she had wrapped around her arm. Very carefully she took the rosary and slipped it around her son's right arm. The wind she had felt coming from his hand died, but the hole remained. She felt a tear rolling down her cheek, unable to stop it.

"What is it now, okaa-san?" asked the boy, sounding fearful. "Do you know what this hole in my hand is?"

"That 'hole' is a kazaana, Kaze," she told him, fiddling with the beads now around his arm. "And as for what it means... It means, my son, that your outou-san has died."

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**Chapter 1: Death of a Dream**

The rest of Inuyasha's companions learn of Miroku's unfortunate fate. Sango in particular is devastated. Meanwhile we see more of little Kaze and his mother.


	2. Ichi: Death of a Dream

**Disclaimer: **I own very little.

** A/N: **This chapter is in celebration of me getting through my English exam so easily. So, we haven't got the results yet, but I don't think there's anything that could happen that could keep me from passing. Don't get too excited, however -- I have more exams, school work, and catching up with sleep still to get through, so I'm not making any promises about when there'll be another update!

Oh, and don't worry, Miroku will turn up again sooner rather than later... Yes, he did die. No, he won't be dead anymore when he turns up. No, it doesn't involve Tenseiga in any way, nor does it have anything to do with the Shikon shards -- oh, and Naraku isn't _directly_ involved with it. That's all I'm going to tell you by now.  
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**Prayer to the Winds**

**Ichi**

_Death of a Dream_

"Where are Inuyasha and houshi-sama?" wondered Sango aloud. "They should have returned already."

"Don't worry," Shippou snorted. "Maybe they found some pretty girl in the forest and Inuyasha's trying to get Miroku leave her." The kitsune's tail twitched a bit as he said this.

Kagome noticed Sango's expression darkening and said, "They're probably just having trouble with finding that youkai. There's no need to worry, Sango -- one lower youkai can't be too much of an opponent to the two of them. They most certainly can deal with such a minor problem. Kirara will be well soon again."

"Yeah..." The taijiyo nodded slowly, glancing at the cat demon lying nearby. Kirara was a bit better now, well fighting off her injuries, but the magical jewel would speed up the process a lot.

Just then, Shippou cried out, "Look! Inuyasha's coming!" And indeed, a fair-haired form was approaching the village from the direction where Inuyasha and Miroku supposedly had gone to.

With a delighted smile Kagome ran towards her friend. When she got nearer, she noticed something missing. "Where is Miroku?" asked Kagome curiously. "You didn't leave him behind, did you?" She did wonder, though. Miroku usually managed to keep up with Inuyasha even when the others were left behind, at least on short distances. And Inuyasha, no matter how harsh he might appear, would not leave him alone.

"No, I didn't," replied the hanyou briefly. He sounded unusually serious and somehow strange.

The tone of his voice made the others give him a closer look. As they saw his grim expression and the dead, empty look in his eyes, they all gasped, fearing the worst. "...Houshi-sama?" asked Sango, sounding uncharacteristically fearful. "Inuyasha, where is houshi-sama?"

"Gone." Inuyasha's voice was harsh even for him, and as empty of all emotions as his eyes. "He's dead."

"No!" Kagome cried out, and Sango paled drastically. Shippou looked rather faint, his eyes widening.

"...How did it happen?" Sango finally forced herself to ask. "What killed him? What happened to the body? Tell us!" The distraught woman rushed forward, clutching the hanyou's arms desperately.

Inuyasha, however, didn't seem to be angered by this. In fact, he seemed to hardly even notice the sudden contact. "We were attacked by about a thousand fucking youkai," he said quietly. "There were a few stronger youkai, too; they must have lingered nearby and waited until we parted ways with you. Anyway, I was stuck fighting with the stronger ones while Miroku took on the rest. What we didn't know at that time, however, was that some of those bloody lower youkai were poisonous."

"Oh no," Shippou gasped. "Miroku got poisoned? Why didn't he seal his hand?" The kitsune was horrified.

"I don't know," Inuyasha sighed. "He must have noticed it and slowed down, but he continued anyway to keep the lower youkai off my neck. By the time I could go to help him he was already badly poisoned, but never said anything. And I... I didn't notice." The hanyou closed his eyes briefly, a pained look on his face.

"It's not your fault, Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly, sensing her friend's emotions. "We all know that if Miroku doesn't want to reveal something, we won't find out about it. There's no way you could have noticed anything, especially in the middle of a battle."

"But I should have," Inuyasha said stubbornly. "His movements slowed down, and he was sweating from the mere effort of staying upright -- and still he kept on fighting. It wasn't until after we'd slain the rest of the youkai that I noticed anything. By then he looked really bad. When I asked him what was wrong, he just murmured, 'Poison,' staggered, and fell. I managed to catch him just before he hit the ground."

Sango, Kagome, and Shippou all listened to him with wide eyes. The girls were both very pale, and the kitsune child was clinging desperately onto Kagome's sleeve. None was going to interrupt Inuyasha now.

"He was conscious, but it was clear that he couldn't even stand on his own. I offered to carry him here, of course, but he just said that he wouldn't survive long enough. I'd have tried at least, but then Miroku said that he didn't want that; all he wanted was to just rest for a bit in peace -- or at least that's what he said."

By now Inuyasha had turned half away from his companions. His eyes were locked at something he alone could see as he recalled the events, telling them with a flat tone that clearly hid a myriad of emotions.

"So, I put his head in my lap to keep him more comfortable. He was sweating and slightly trembling, and very obviously in pain. I -- I told him to fight it -- but he said that even he had his limits." The hanyou's voice almost broke, but he forced himself to go on. "Miroku then asked me to tell you that he'd miss you all -- especially you, Sango. He asked me to tell you that he loved you." The taijiyo nodded, tears pooling in her eyes, her mouth a thin line as she listened to Inuyasha. After a pause, the hanyou continued.

"The same old Miroku, he started to joke then," Inuyasha said, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "He commented on how inappropriate it was for a monk to die in a hanyou's arms. I -- I told him to stop, to shut up and save his strength, but he didn't. Instead, he just talked and talked while his ki slowly faded away. Then, when it was almost gone, he said, 'Sayonara, Inuyasha...' After that, he didn't move or speak... and his ki disappeared completely. There was nothing left of it -- of him. Then I realized that... that he was dead." He bowed his head, the silver hair covering his face.

Now, Kagome bursted into tears, and Shippou bawled out loud. Sango, tears glistening in her eyes as well, bravely asked, "And then?" There was a note of anxiousness in her voice that had never been there before.

"And then?" echoed Inuyasha. "Then, I howled. I couldn't help it; I'd just lost a close pack member. The next second, however, I found myself in the middle of youkai -- they had used my distraction with Miroku on their advantage to get nearer. Of course, I fought the best I could and killed most of them, but I was already exhausted from the previous battle and a few managed to escape. Those who did... took his body."

The others all gasped in shock. Inuyasha turned even further away from them and finished, again little more than whispering, "Miroku would always pray even for the worst murderer... and didn't himself get even decently buried. It's all my fault..." He clenched his fists, the sharp claws sinking into flesh, drawing blood.

"Don't blame yourself," Kagome said softly. "What do you think Miroku would say?"

"Most probably he'd say something that's overly emotional enough to make you so moved that he's able to caress your butt for a while before you got over your shock to actually slap him. This is Miroku we're talking about, after all," Inuyasha replied. However, there was no humour behind his words.

"That wasn't funny, Inuyasha," Shippou whispered quietly. However, he got no reply.

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Two figures travelled down the road. One of them was a young woman, the other a boy of about five years of age. They were Kaze and his mother, on a trip she had decided on immediately after the curse had appeared on Kaze's hand. No explanation was offered to the boy, who didn't ask anything, either. Having grown up with only his mother around, he had gotten used to the fact that his mother made all decisions. 

"Okaa-san?" asked Kaze, looking up at his mother. "Tell me again about otou-san."

A sad smile crossed her lips as she glanced at her son. "He was a very fine man," she said softly. "Noble and courageous... even in his young age, when we met, he was already more of a man than any old warrior. He was sixteen back then, as was I... and we loved each other very much."

Now, she sighed, and was silent for a while. Then, painfully aware of the large silver eyes fixed on her, as serious as his father's eyes although similar to hers in appearance, she continued, "Unfortunately, he bore a curse... a curse that he knew would eventually devour him unless he slew Naraku, the demon who had created it. Not wanting to bind me to the fate of a young widow and mother of a cursed orphan, he then left me rather than stayed with me, telling me to find somebody else for myself and have a happy life. Of course, I told him that I could never be happy with anybody else."

"And then?" asked Kaze curiously. He had heard the story before, but he never got tired of it.

"Then he told me that once he slew Naraku, he would come back. And, should I have found someone, he would be happy for me and go about on his way. However, if I was still alone, we would live our lives together. I accepted his promise, and he left, both unaware of the life he had already created within me."

"That was me," the boy said confidently. Oh, he knew the story very well indeed.

"That is right, it was you," his mother admitted. "When I realized what a wonderful gift he had left behind, I moved to my grandmother's house in another village. I stayed there after you were born, only going back to my home village once you were a year old. And whenever somebody asked, I told them that you were Kaze, my son, and the son of a courageous and powerful priest with the name of Miroku."

The boy smiled a bit. "And how did you decide on my name?" he asked then quietly.

"It is because of the curse he bore, the one that is now within your hand," she told him. "'Wind to nowhere', he once called it, since it was like a powerful wind sucking in everything nearby. Also, he once mentioned that all he wished to be free of his curse -- 'free like the wind', were his exact words. So, I just thought that Kaze was a name he would approve of."

Kaze nodded, accepting this explanation without a single question. Then, however, he frowned a bit. "But where are we going, okaa-san?" he asked. "I don't remember ever having left the village."

"That is because we have never left the village before," she replied calmly. "I never wanted to leave, fearing that Miroku might come back for me -- for us -- right while we were away. Now, however, I know that he will not come -- not ever. Therefore, I am taking you to a priest he often told of, with the name of Mushin. He should be able to give us advice about the required treatment of your curse."

"That's good." At this, he glanced down at his hand, a bit nervous. His mother had wrapped a cloth around his hand to hide the small hole there, and the prayer beads were firmly wrapped around his arm. However, he still felt something in his hand -- like a suction. But his mother had said the rosary would stop the curse...

* * *

"...His staff is here." Very slowly Sango kneeled down, a slightly trembling hand reaching out for the lengthy object lying on the ground. Then she grasped on it, holding it so tightly her knuckles were white. 

"Sango-chan..." Kagome started to say, briefly touching her friend's shoulder. However, she found herself at a loss of words and fell silent again. Her eyes were also fixed on the now abandoned staff of the houshi.

"I loved him." Sango's broken whisper was well heard by her companions in the silence surrounding them. "He was an annoying lecher and never learned his lesson, but I still loved him. I would have lived my life with him, had I ever got the chance. But now, he is gone -- yet another loved one taken by Naraku."

"Naraku?" echoed Shippou. "But they were just ordinary youkai. Weren't they, Inuyasha?"

"Sango's right." The hanyou didn't look at any of them, looking up at the clear sky instead. "This had to be one of Naraku's plots. Who else could get so many youkai to actually cooperate? He planned all this. The only thing I don't understand is why exactly they took... Miroku's corpse..."

"To prevent Sesshoumaru from using Tenseiga to revive him, perhaps," Kagome suggested. Glancing hesitantly at Sango, she then added, "Or, more likely, he wants another puppet like Kohaku."

Sango didn't say anything, just held the staff tightly. She closed her eyes, a couple of tears rolling from under her eyelids. "Houshi-sama," she then whispered. "We will kill Naraku for you... I promise."

"That is for sure," muttered Inuyasha. After a moment of silence he abruptly turned around and started to walk away. "We're leaving," he said harshly. "It's no use lingering here. Oh, and leave the staff behind."

Sango made a small, choked sound, opening her eyes to stare at the hanyou in disbelief. "But..." she whispered, her voice only barely audible to Kagome, who only had a human hearing.

"Inuyasha, hidoi!" shouted Shippou, frowning angrily. His eyes were full of tears of both sorrow and anger.

Kagome, however, just watched her friend's slowly retreating back. She noted the slumped posture and bowed head as well as the hardly restrained shaking of the shoulders. Also, she heard his voice shaking.

"Just stick it to the ground and leave it there," Inuyasha said. "If something was going to take it, it'd already done so. The staff carries Miroku's aura. His own spiritual powers, or the remains thereof, are enough to keep any youkai away. They were enough to stop even Tessaiga, after all. He is... was very powerful."

Now, Shippou raised his eyes from where he had been looking worriedly at Sango. "Inuyasha?" the kitsune asked, swallowing his tears. Hopping to the hanyou, he then asked in wonder, "Inuyasha... are you crying?"

Inuyasha whipped his head angrily around. Sure enough, there were tears in the golden eyes. "Yes!" he roared. "Yes, I am fucking crying! And do you know why? Because Miroku is fucking dead and will never see Naraku die or be free of his bloody curse. And it is all just my bloody fucking fault!"

The others fell silent out of pure shock. Inuyasha crying would have alone been a shock bad enough to achieve that; the hanyou actually admitting it was something unimaginable altogether. Even Sango forgot her tears for a moment as she watched in disbelief the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Will you just stop staring at me?" yelled Inuyasha through his tears. "So I'm crying, big deal. I've just lost my bloody best friend for fuck's sake! You always get angry at me when I mock your human emotions, but when I show them myself you stare at me like I was some fucking deadly monster!"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said quietly, walking towards him, and carefully reached out her hand, laying it on his shoulder once she reached his side. "We all miss Miroku awfully much, and we realize it must be even more difficult to you, who had to actually see his death. It's not that we're saying that you aren't allowed to mourn him; rather I'm glad to see you showing your emotions as it clearly shows just how much you cared for him. It's just that we are all surprised to see you admitting that you actually have emotions."

"Feh. So I've brought this upon myself, eh?" The hanyou gave her a bitter smile. "I'm sure Miroku would have some witty response to that," he said, then sniffled. "It's my fault," he said gloomily. "All my fault."

"No, it isn't," Kagome assured him, squeezing gently his shoulder. "It is only Naraku's fault -- and yet another reason to slay him. We are no more doing it to save Miroku's life, but to avenge his death."

"Yeah," muttered Inuyasha. "And Naraku will die for this. I swear it by my own life." The rare tears still glistening in his eyes, he glanced up to the skies. "For Miroku, I'll kill Naraku... or die trying."

* * *

Wind rustled over a few dead leaves in the forest. On a small clearing it encountered something too large for it to lift and carry. Leaving the shreds of youkai flesh in peace, it carried away the stench of blood. 

It did not, however, wipe away the faint footprints barely visible on the ground. Instead, it left them untouched, a path of calmness forming in the otherwise windy forest.

The path led deep into the forest, travelling through the trees and the howling wind. However, not a single blade of grass shivered where a foot had been laid. The wind followed as if trying to reach the long-gone traveller, but never once did it actually touch the almost invisible traces of wandering feet.

It was almost as if the wind was being repelled... Or forced by some stronger entity to stay away...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Meetings and Partings**

Inuyasha has turned from mourning into denial, which Kagome will absolutely not stand. A particularly bad tear-soaked quarrel leads to something unexpected. Kaze and his mother meet Mushin, and we'll also get to see just what Sesshoumaru and Kouga are up to each on their respective sides.


	3. Ni: Meetings and Partings

**Disclaimer: **I own very little.

** A/N:** This chapter is long. Very long. In fact, it's about twice as long as the first chapter. I am not making any promises about the lengths of the future chapters, but I'll try to make them all at least as long as the first one. And as for why this is so long, well, there just wasn't any convenient place to cut it without omitting something I had planned to put in (and promised in my author notes).

BTW, Kouga's opinion about Kagome in this chapter is about the same as my opinion about her... except for the part about women naturally needing protection, of course. Or the "fact" that she's a good fighter. In fact, I mostly agree with the point that she's about as violent towards Inuyasha as Akane is towards Ranma, which classifies her as a Vengeful Bitch Who Enjoys Inflicting Pain on Potential Love Interests.

...No, I don't like Kagome. I'll try my best not to make her appear too bad in this fic, though...

* * *

**Prayer to the Winds**

**Ni**

_Meetings and Partings_

"Mom!" shouted out a child's voice. "Mom, Mariko doesn't let me play , too!"

Kagome sighed as she rose. "I'm coming, Nami," she shouted back. "Just wait a minute!" Turning towards her friend, she said, "Excuse me, Sango, but I seemingly have to go to deal out some discipline. Mariko seems to have developed quite a mean streak recently."

"It's alright," Sango replied with a smile. "I'm sure it'll go away by time, though. It's just the age."

"Well, I certainly hope so," muttered Kagome. "Kami-sama help us all if she turns out like her uncle!" Though she chuckled at this, her chuckle sounded a bit desperate.

Sango chuckled also, purely in amusement, watching her friend leave. Lucky Kagome, she and Inuyasha had three lively kids already. Mariko was a pretty girl despite her occasional nastiness, Nami was an adorable child in ever aspect, and little Inumaru was like a miniature copy of his father. They all even had the puppy-dog ears, even though Nami's hair and thus ears were black.

A warm smile rose to the taijiya's lips as she placed a hand on her own round stomach. After years of trying, hoping, and praying, she and Miroku finally had their own little one on the way. Miroku was ecstatic, and Sango herself was happier than ever. All her dreams were coming true. Naraku had been defeated and Miroku was finally free of his curse, and Kohaku, now free of Naraku's control, lived on happily. She and Miroku were married, as were Inuyasha and Kagome, and they were all living peacefully in Kaede's village. Now that they were having a baby there was nothing left for her to wish for. Her life was simply perfect.

Just then she felt a pair of arms being wrapped around her expanded waist. "And how is my dear wife on this fine morning?" asked a familiar voice as somebody placed their chin on her shoulder.

"I've never been better," she replied happily, leaning back against her husband's firm chest. She felt his hands resting on her belly and let out a sigh of contentment. Sitting there in the arms of the man she loved more than anything, listening to the happy voices of her friends and their children outside, feeling her baby kick in her stomach... Had she died right then and there, she would have been the happiest person on Earth. It was all almost like a dream...

And that was exactly when she woke, cold and alone, the crackling of the fire and her friend's breathing the only sounds she could hear. She remembered where they were -- right next to the battlefield where Miroku's life had come to its untimely end. For a moment she just lay there, not moving an inch.

Then, however, she curled up on her side, sobbing so hard her whole body was trembling. It was not often that she let herself break down, but right now she simply couldn't keep it all inside. Her ultimate dream had been broken the very second Miroku's life had ended, and now even nighttime dreams were taunting her by showing her images of happiness she now could never achieve fully.

"A nightmare, eh?" The question startled her. Looking up, she saw a pair of golden eyes in the shadows.

"No," she replied. "It was the most wonderful dream I've had in a long time... and that's what makes it so painful," she then added with a bitter tone. Tears still lingered in her eyes.

"About Miroku, right?" Inuyasha asked levelly. As she didn't reply, just let another sob burst out, the hanyou sighed. The light of the golden eyes disappeared as he lowered his head. "...I'm sorry, Sango."

Now, she was certainly surprised. Inuyasha apologizing -- especially when he'd done nothing? "What for?"

"It is my fault," Inuyasha replied, sighing again. "I didn't notice and stop him in time. It couldn't be any more my fault even if I'd sliced him in half with Tessaiga or torn his throat apart with my own fangs."

"You're wrong," she whispered. "It was not your fault. Miroku would hate to see you blaming yourself."

Now, the hanyou chuckled bitterly. "He probably would, wouldn't he? Too bad he's not here to tell me to stop." His eyes flashed momentarily with a sharp light. "If it bothers him, he's welcome to say so."

"But he won't say so," Sango said. "He will never say so, because he is dead. He's dead and will not come back. And that is Naraku's fault." Yet another tear rolled down her cheek as another sob escaped.

"What if he isn't?" The odd tone in his voice startled her, and she just stared at him as he continued, "You know... I don't really feel like he is gone. He died in my arms, and I felt his ki fade. Back then, I knew very well that he was... dead. But for a few days now I've felt like he is alive, somehow, somewhere."

"It can't be true," whispered Sango. "Or if it is, it means that he is now another puppet of Naraku. Besides, _I_ most certainly feel like he is dead. You just said yourself you saw him die -- how can you not believe it?"

"I said I saw him die," Inuyasha replied quietly, "and I do believe that he did die. However, I am not convinced that he _is_ dead." He sighed once again. "This probably doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't." Sango gave him a serious gaze. "It doesn't make sense at all. How could he not be dead if he died? Don't you think that's not logical?" It hurt her to hear Inuyasha talking like this. Miroku was dead and would not come back -- or if he did, it would only bring pain like Kohaku's revival. It was better to just accept it and move on, no matter how impossible it maybe seemed at the moment.

"I know it's not logical," Inuyasha replied, "and my mind fights against that thought all the time. However, my heart won't be convinced. Feh." He snorted. "Most probably my instincts are mixed up because I lost a pack member. But even though I know that, the feeling won't go away." He looked unusually thoughtful.

Now, Sango fell silent, squeezing her eyes shut. A couple of tears rolled from her closed eyes, crossing her cheeks and dropping down to her lap. She didn't even try to stop them, though.

Neither of them said a word more after that. Finally Sango, exhausted, managed to get into sleep again, although her dreams were dark and she couldn't really find peace in her sleep.

Inuyasha, however, stayed awake, the golden eyes scanning the night from behind the silver bangs. He didn't make a sound, nor did he move -- he only thought.

* * *

"Inuyasha, we need to leave," Kagome said sharply. "Or, rather, _you_ need to leave, or fight, or do about anything to occupy your thoughts instead of whatever is occupying your mind at the moment. As you are now, Naraku could probably sneak up behind your back and kill us all before you even noticed him!" 

"Wha-?" The hanyou seemed startled. "Sorry, Kagome..." he then sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I kind of spaced out... I won't do that again. So, what did you say?"

For a moment, the girl from the future just stared at her friend. Had Inuyasha just apologized to her? Then she snapped out of her stunned state and said, "I don't believe you! Haven't you heard a word of what I've said? We need to leave from here! Kirara's all healed now."

"But..." Inuyasha started to protest, but then just sighed. "Okay. Let's get going."

The other members of the company stared at him for a moment, Kagome included. Then they slowly started to follow the hanyou, who was already striding off. Conversing silently through a glance at each other, Sango and Kagome nodded at each other. Then, Kagome climbed onto Kirara's back as well, settling behind her taijiya friend. No words were still exchanged between the two.

For some time they travelled fast, the girls and Shippou on Kirara's back and Inuyasha running alongside them. However, after about an hour, the others noticed that Inuyasha was beginning to slow down. "Inuyasha?" asked Sango, a bit worried for the hanyou. "Is something wrong?"

"Y-yes," the hanyou replied, coming to a halt. The others stopped as well. "Miroku's presence... it's fading away." There was a sad glow in his eyes. "It feels like... I'm losing him again..." His voice trailed off.

Sango lowered her head, unable to say anything, and Shippou just stared at Inuyasha. However, Kagome would not take this kind of talk quietly. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked. "Miroku's presence? How could you feel that when he's not here anymore?"

"But he is here," Inuyasha replied quietly. "Or, rather, on that bloody battlefield, or somewhere around it. I could sense his presence there. It doesn't feel right to leave... It's like he's trying to come back and telling me not to leave before he does. And I don't want to. There's no fucking way I'm leaving him alone again."

Now, Kagome wasted no time in overcoming her shock at the hanyou's words. Instead, she got angry. "He's not going to come back!" she yelled. "And do you know why? Because he's _dead_! Miroku is dead and nothing you say or do is going to change that! So now get over it and move on!"

"I can't," Inuyasha said in a weak protest. "It's impossible to me to just forget about him, just as impossible as it is to make myself believe that he is actually dead." His voice now dropped into a whisper. "You don't understand, Kagome... Do you? After saving each other so many times... sharing so many things... he's as good as my brother. I have a bond with him, sorta. And I feel that he is fucking alive!"

"Inuyasha, that's insane." Now, Kagome sighed, tiny tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. "You're going mad, Inuyasha... This is not healthy. You simply have to get over his death. You have to accept it!"

Inuyasha, however, shook his head. By his insistence they had spent a few days near to the place of Miroku's defeat, never going far enough for the sound of the rings on his staff swaying in the wind to fade from the hanyou's ears. He'd be damned if he gave up so easily now. "You're wrong," he said stubbornly. "Miroku is not dead. I know he isn't! Why can't you simply believe me, you bloody wench!"

"Don't you dare yell at me!" Kagome screeched in tearful rage. She was angry at Inuyasha, yes, angry at him for bringing up the pained emotions she'd worked so hard to put down, as well as for the pain he was putting Sango through. The taijiya looked truly pained at every mention of Miroku, and all this talk about him coming back was just hurting her further. Also, Kagome was mad at Naraku for taking away a dear friend. Unable to do anything about that rage, she let it out on Inuyasha. Therefore, she now yelled loudly, "Osuwari, Inuyasha! Osuwari! Osuwari! OSUWARI!"

The hanyou crashed to the ground, pulled there by the rosary around his neck. He heard as the girl from the future yelled at him. "Try to get it into your thick head. Miroku is DEAD! He's DEAD and nothing else! Get over it or you'll go insane -- if you aren't already! Forget about him if nothing else helps, but do. Not. Continue. Like. This! This is not healthy, Inuyasha! Believe it at last, you moron -- Miroku's DEAD!"

For a moment Inuyasha just lay there, looking up at her. Unlike she'd thought, there was no anger in his golden eyes -- just extreme sadness and pain that came from somewhere deep within his soul. Then, long after the magic had stopped affecting him, he finally pushed himself up. Still he was not angry, like could have been expected. Rather, he just calmly brushed the dust away from his clothes, still looking at her.

"I understand your feelings, Kagome," he then said, sounding more collected and polite than ever in the entire time Kagome had known him. "However, I fear you do not understand _my_ feelings about this topic. It is painful to you to listen to me speak about Miroku being possibly alive, because you fear the pain of false hope. But no matter what you say, I cannot convince myself that he's dead. Therefore, I am going to look for him, and I will not give up until I find him or the demons that took him. And to do that, I need to get to where I feel his presence strongest. It is of no interest to me what _you_ do during that time, but I doubt you want to stick with me if it's so bloody painful to you." Then, before she could recover enough to even yell her usual, "Osuwari!" he was out of sight.

For a moment, the others just stared back at the direction where they'd come from and where the hanyou had now returned. Then, they looked at each other. "...What are we going to do now?" asked Sango.

"We go on like planned," sighed Kagome. "I don't know just what's eating Inuyasha, but he will come back sooner or later -- most likely sooner. And when he does, I'm going to osuwari him so much that he still feels it next year." At the looks she got from her companions, she then snapped, "What are you staring at? I only told him the truth! It's not my fault that he's already practically insane!"

"It's not that," Shippou said. "You told the truth all right. But aren't you the tiniest bit upset that he left? I mean, he's rather chasing Miroku's ghost than making sure that Naraku doesn't kill us."

For a moment, Kagome just stared at the tiny youkai. Then she hissed, "Don't talk like that. He'll come back soon. There's no way he'd rather try to find that 'presence' than travel with us."

However, in the inside, she couldn't ignore the feeling that she wouldn't see her hanyou friend again for a long time... if ever.

* * *

"Mushin-sama?" called out a tentative female voice. "Mushin-sama, are you here?" 

There was no answer to be heard from the temple. Therefore, the caller walked further inside, holding Kaze by his left hand, too hesitant to take a hold of the cursed one. "Mushin-sama?" she called out again.

"Mm... what?" grumbled the old man who was just stepping into sight. "Who's calling?"

The woman shook her head slightly at the obviously drunken monk. However, she didn't appear to be too shocked. Most probably she hadn't expected anything else. "My name is Natsuko, Mushin-sama," she told him. "I am seeking your help as my son carries a curse, one that will eventually result with his death. I've been told by a person I trust very much that you are the one I should turn to in my trouble."

"What kind of a curse?" the old monk asked, scratching his head. At least he had the decency to put aside the jug of sake he was holding. "And who told you that I'd be able to help?"

"I guess there's a quick way to answer both of your questions, Mushin-sama." Natsuko sighed, turning towards her son with a sad expression. "Show him your hand, Kaze."

Obediently the boy stuck out his hand. As Mushin saw the cloth wrapped around the palm and the prayer beads that seemed very large around the slender arm, he at first blinked, then sighed. "Let me guess. Miroku's son," he said quietly. "So he finally met his end, then. A pity, really -- he was a good boy. Not the purest of men, surely, but good and wise in his heart."

"Yes, he is Miroku's son," Natsuko admitted quietly. "His name is Kaze."

"Kaze, eh?" Mushin furrowed his eyebrows. "Funny, I don't remember Miroku ever mentioning you."

"That would be because Miroku never knew of him," Natsuko said softly. "He promised to return after he slew Naraku, but as the curse has now appeared on our son, I guess his quest was cut short by some undefeatable foe. He often spoke of you in regards with his curse. Please tell me what I should do."

"Well, you've got the right idea here, all right," the old monk said, clutching Kaze's wrapped hand and turning it around. "However, it is good you came to me. These would not have kept the curse's force in check for a much longer time. Wait a minute; I should have something right here."

Natsuko and Kaze indeed waited patiently as the monk disappeared to the depths of the temple, arriving some time later with two objects. One of them was a cloth much resembling the one Natsuko remembered seeing on Miroku's arm; in fact, it was an almost perfect miniature copy of it. The other object was a string of small prayer beads. Presenting these to Kaze, Mushin told, "Miroku wore these when he was your age. Err... Just how old are you, child?" he then asked.

"I have now turned five, Mushin-sama," replied Kaze, carefully slipping the glove under the rather loose prayer beads around his arm before taking away the wrappings. Then, with equal care, he fitted the smaller rosary on its place before taking away the original one. Flexing his fingers, he noticed that the small suction was now gone. Good. "It seems you were able to put my curse under control. I thank you for this favour." After a little pause, he added, "Okaa-san has told me that otou-san held you in much affection."

Mushin looked down at him, examining the familiar features. Only Kaze's eyes were from his mother. "Aren't you just like little Miroku," the old man said softly. "Except for the eyes you look just like he did in your age. You even talk like he did... However, he never said, 'otou-san;' he spoke of 'chichi-ue.'"

"Really?" asked Kaze, his eyes wide. "I didn't know that... okaa-san never told me. Er, haha-ue never told me," he then corrected, changing his word for "mother" into another one. There was no doubt about whether he was trying to imitate his late father's supposed manner of speech.

Now, Mushin smiled sadly. Yes, definitely like Miroku -- much too clever for his own good.

Turning to Natsuko, he now sighed. "I can offer you no information as of what happened to Miroku," he said sadly. "Your news shocked me. If you want to find out what ended his life, as well as to see the only people I think are capable of ever destroying Naraku and saving your son from his eventual death, search for his companions. He travelled with a taijiya, a young girl with the shortest dress I've ever seen on anybody, a kitsune child, and an inu hanyou called Inuyasha. Ask around and you shall find them."

"Thank you, Mushin-sama," Natsuko said, bowing politely, and Kaze followed her exemplar. "I shall do as you have instructed, for I do wish to know what made Miroku's life come to its untimely end."

Mushin watched quietly as the mother and the son walked away to the distance, holding hands. A small, lonely tear left his eye and made its way over his cheek, dropping to the front of his robes.

Then he shook his head, turned around, and left to get some more sake.

* * *

"I smell wolves," announced Shippou suddenly. Sure enough, soon their eyes met the familiar whirlwind in the horizon. Mere moments later Kouga stopped in front of them. 

"Ah, Kagome!" exclaimed the ookami, then glanced around. As he did not see the usual people around, he frowned a bit. "Where's the guard dog? And what about the houshi?"

At that, Sango sniffled a bit. "Miroku is dead," Kagome said quietly. "And Inuyasha... he's away."

"Away? What do you mean?" Now, Kouga looked angry. "Did he leave you alone, without protection?" Flexing his claws, the youkai grimaced threateningly at an invisible image. "He will pay for that!"

"Oh, no!" Kagome exclaimed, startled. "He's -- he's not quite all right now, Kouga. I don't think it'd be the best idea to confront him now." Biting her lip anxiously, she continued, "Inuyasha claimed that he still felt Miroku's presence. When I told him to snap out of it, he just started to argue. So, I sat him a few times and yelled at him, and without even bothering to reply, he simply ran away."

"You can't be serious!" Kouga exclaimed. "Tell me that's not true!"

"Yeah, ridiculous, isn't it?" asked Kagome with a sad smile. "He just wouldn't let go of Miroku's memory, no matter what I did. I mean, sure, I miss him as well, but Inuyasha looked like he had died himself."

"He could just as well have!" spat the youkai, not caring whether he startled the girl -- which he did. "Look. They've saved each other's lives, haven't they? The mutt and the monk?" As Kagome just nodded in confirmation, still too startled to speak, he continued, "That's it. The monk was his beta -- the second in charge in the pack, at least to his youkai senses. In addition to that, they were friends and trusted each other -- and then, they had saved each other's lives, maybe many times, even. Anyway, that formed a bond between them. I don't know what it was the mutt was sensing -- probably some of the monk's powers clinging to something, his staff, I'd guess -- but it was enough to make him feel like the monk's still alive. With that feeling and the bond they had, telling him to take the monk for dead is about the same as telling him to believe that a part of himself is dead when he feels it's alive. And that's simply cruel."

"But... how is that possible?" whispered Kagome. "How can there be a bond so strong?"

"Easy," Kouga replied with a shrug. "The bond of friendship between the alpha and the beta is one of the strongest in any canine youkai pack -- in that of an inu youkai as well, or a hanyou for that matter. As they were friends as well as the two highest in the ranking order, they had that bond. Add to that the lifesaving, and it comes second only to the mating bond. It means that his youkai side was closer to the monk than any of you. And you thought he'd abandon the monk's presence in favour of you? Feh. Hopeless."

As Kagome was still too stunned to speak, Sango decided to take charge of their side of the discussion, having now got over her first wave of sadness at the mention of Miroku's name. "Er, Kouga?" she asked quietly. "Would it be possible that... you travelled with us for a while? You see, we have now lost our two strongest fighters, as it obviously will be some time before Inuyasha joins us again, and..."

The ookami's answer was simple. "No," Kouga said sharply, then added with only a bit softer tone, "No, I will not join you. Because of the shards in my legs, Naraku would be delighted to catch me. When he finds out that Inuyasha has left your company, he most probably will leave you in peace, and you can handle any other youkai between the two of you. So, as much as it pains me, I have to refuse." Like Sango noticed, however, his refusal did not sound very hesitant or even reluctant.

"Bye, Kagome," was all Kouga said, and then turned around, running away. For a moment the two women, Shippou, and Kirara just stared after him, not sure how to react.

Then they glanced at each other, the quiet feeling of dread growing ever more.

* * *

Kouga cursed silently in his mind as he ran ahead, practically flying past Ginta, Hakkaku, and the few wolves that were following them. The other ookami came to a halt and then turned around, trying desperately to keep up with their leader. Unfortunately to them, slowing down was the farthest thing from Kouga's mind. No, the ookami alpha had some quite pressing matters on his mind right now. 

He had never doubted his own choice of a mate. When other wolves criticized it, when Inuyasha spoke against it, even when Kagome obviously showed her dislike at the thought of being his mate, he didn't care. Oh, he wasn't that stupid; he was merely convinced that with time he could persuade Kagome to choose him instead of Inuyasha. He still believed he could do that; however, he wasn't so sure if he wanted to.

It wasn't until now that he realized just how different Kagome was from any demoness. Any cub would have known about the bond that was created if the alpha and the beta became true friends, yet this child calling herself a miko was clueless. And just how cruelly had she treated the hanyou! Sure, Kouga would have never called Inuyasha his friend or anything alike, but he did have some sense of pack loyalty at least. It was obvious Kagome did not have that. Earlier the shouts of "Osuwari!" and the harsh landings following those had made him laugh, but now he began to realize just how wrong it was. Kagome would yell her magic word whenever Inuyasha did something she didn't like, no matter how small or unimportant his mistake was. It seemed that the girl simply enjoyed torturing her friend. Pack members were supposed to protect each other, not hurt! Sure, discipline was one thing, but Kagome's behaviour was just cruelty.

That was something Kouga simply could not accept. His mate would have to be a fierce fighter, what Kagome indeed was in his eyes -- what she lacked in skill she made up for in spirit and powers. Sure, she did need protection from time to time, but that was just natural. After all, she was a woman, and thus naturally weaker than a man. However, his mate would also have to be loyal, and have a sense of mercy -- to a certain degree, of course, but he could not accept simple torture just for the hell of it. His wolves may have murdered people, more so than was necessary for their feeding even, but at least they did it quickly. And they most definitely did not turn on their pack members.

No, it seemed that Kagome did not have everything he wished for in a mate.

* * *

Sango sighed as she sat down in front of the fire after gathering some fire wood from the forest. She watched as Kagome prepared their supper, a rabbit Kirara had caught for them. It was big and fat, definitely enough to feed them all, but still Sango couldn't help the slight feeling of emptiness. 

Before it would have taken much more to feed their entire party. Now, however, Miroku and Inuyasha were away. And, without them, Sango began to understand just how loosely bound their group was.

Miroku had been the key to it, in a way. Sure, Kagome and Inuyasha had been the beginning of it all and had seemed inseparable, but it had now been proven that Miroku had been the glue even there. His calming presence and at times genuinely wise pieces of advice had done a lot to clear out the differences between the hanyou and the miko. Now that Miroku was not there, observing and commenting everything that was going on, Inuyasha's wish for solitude had finally won his sense of obligation to Kagome. The little fractures in their group had grown into large tears without the bind of Miroku, which had led to their breakup.

Now, Sango found herself thinking startling thoughts. Sure, her mission was to destroy Naraku, just like was that of Kagome and Inuyasha, and even little Shippou. However, she had always preferred solitude, much like Inuyasha. In fact, she and the hanyou were very much alike in several things. And the one that was now pressing her mind was the fact that she was tempted to leave as well.

Of course, she could not do that. There was no way Kagome and Shippou would survive without her and Kirara around. However, it seemed that there was no reason for her to remain. At first she had started to travel with them because she thought that they were the only ones capable of facing Naraku and his minions and coming out victorious, but now she had realized that it was not so. Others were also capable of doing harm to that epitome of evil, most of all Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's seemingly invincible brother. Even after noticing this, she had remained, but now her reason had been different -- Miroku. As much as his endless advances and shameless flirting had annoyed her, in the end she had come to love the houshi. Getting over him would be painful, but she would manage... eventually. That was not the point, however; the point was that she now had no reason other than keeping Kagome and Shippou alive to remain within the badly shrunk group. On her own she might have actually managed to harm Naraku in some however minor way -- maybe she would have even found Kohaku. However, she could not leave.

As she glanced at Kirara over the flames, she wondered if it was truly worth staying.

* * *

Sesshoumaru's nose twitched. "Go behind this Sesshoumaru, Rin, and stay there," he said sharply. "Close your eyes as well. Hold on my clothes so you do not get lost, but do not look." 

The girl obediently went behind him, her small hand clutching on him. Her tiny feet hurried to stay near him as he walked steadily towards the little clearing he did not want her to see.

As soon as he got there he knew that there was nothing he could do. Jaken and Ah and Un could not be revived. True, Tenseiga could revive anything that had a soul and even reattach body parts, but even it could not do much good if parts of the body had been eaten and digested. Besides, the youkai that had done this were already far. It would be pointless to chase them, and besides, he couldn't very well fight with Rin around. He would get neither replacement nor revenge from the chase, and thus he abandoned it.

"We're going back, Rin," he said coolly, turning around. "Do not open your eyes yet." Then he walked away from the gruesome stench, the tiny human girl right on his heels.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" asked the young ningen. "Do you think you can find Jaken-sama and Ah and Un? When will they come back? It is boring without them, and my feet are getting tired."

"Listen to this Sesshoumaru now," the taiyoukai said seriously. "They are not coming back, not ever. Some malicious youkai have decided to end their lives. We are now all alone, Rin."

"Alone?" the girl asked. "Just Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hai, Rin," he replied. "Just you and this Sesshoumaru." In his mind he kept wondering how on Earth he would manage to take care of the girl by himself. That could not do. There were so many places she wouldn't be safe at, and he couldn't very well just leave her behind, and...

Why must life be so frustrating?

After they had travelled for quite some time, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and Rin?" he said. "You may open your eyes now."

* * *

A staff stood on a forgotten battle field. Somebody had stuck it on the ground in the hopes of having it stay there. Now, the golden rings hanging on it jangled a bit in the slight wind. 

From somewhere a hand was reached for the staff. Had somebody with the ability to read auras been nearby they might have seen the staff lashing out with an energy that would have killed any lesser youkai and made anybody else back off immediately. The hand, however, was not drawn away.

The hand's aura reached out as well, but not attacking. It was gently coaxing and tempting, slowly reaching into the staff's aura and through its defences. Little by little the two energy fields melted into each other, until there was absolutely no telling them apart where they had been joined.

Then, the hand was closed around the staff. A drift of wind flew over the scene, forming a whirlwind around the base of the staff as it was drawn from its place.

Then the staff was away, and the hand as well, and after a moment the wind was away, too.

* * *

**A/N: **Can anybody tell that Miroku's coming back already? 

**Chapter 3: Lost and Found**

Kouga faces tragedy after another, until he runs into Sesshoumaru the Single Father. Inuyasha has a shocking as well as delighting meeting with somebody we know very well, and Sango meets again a long-lost acquitance -- one that might very well be the new leader of the Kagome-tachi. Shippou, however, is not too pleased...


	4. San: Lost and Found

**Disclaimer:** I own very little.

**A/N:** Yes, I updated. Now, breathe deep. Concentrate. Do NOT faint.

Important notice to everyone: There will be NO UPDATES OF ANY KIND IN NOVEMBER from me. Regardless of length, popularity, fandom, or any other factors, I will not be updating _anything_ during November.

* * *

**Prayer to the Winds**

**San**

_Lost and Found_

"It's no use," Kouga said gruffly. "We've already looked everywhere."

"But he has to be here somewhere!" Ginta protested, looking around as though expecting the object of their search to show up at his feet. However, this did not happen.

"Well, he isn't!" Kouga said. He didn't really want to cease the search, he was upset too, but he knew it was useless. There was no way they'd find Hakkaku anymore. Youkais could bear more damage than humans, true enough, but such a fall from a cliff right into a rocky river would kill even them. The only thing they'd been able to find of their companion was blood.

Well, at least they'd had revenge. The demons they had been battling against had been killed to the last one. It didn't quite make up for the loss of yet another pack mate, but it did make it a bit easier to bear.

Ginta didn't say anything. Instead, he transformed into a wolf, obviously not in the mood for talking. Well, he'd come around. They'd have to talk sooner or later.

Now, there were only the two of them.

* * *

Miroku was somewhere nearby.

Although he couldn't explain this feeling, Inuyasha couldn't ignore it, either. Miroku was somewhere not far from him, perhaps waiting, or needing him there, and he couldn't find him. It was, to say the least, quite frustrating.

Suddenly, however, he felt something else that caught his attention. There was a youkai somewhere nearby, too. Raising his sword, he glared at the direction of the now hidden creature.

"Show yourself, youkai," Inuyasha growled. Usually he would have attacked right away, but now something didn't feel quite right. He stared as a figure stepped slowly out of the shadows and into the clearing. As he finally saw it clearly, his breath caught in his chest.

"What is this, Inuyasha? Why so hostile? And why are you travelling alone, anyway? Surely you haven't abandoned our dear lady friends?" asked Miroku. Or, at least it was a creature that looked like Miroku and sounded like him. Its scent, however, made Inuyasha grimace. While it did remind him of Miroku, it was the scent of youkai, not human. And Miroku was no youkai, that much he knew for sure.

"You bastard," he snarled, gripping Tessaiga's handle, his knuckles white. "How dare you try to pass yourself as -- as _him_!" A drift of wind made the rings on the monk's staff jangle, only serving to fuel the hanyou's anger. No filthy youkai was allowed to touch the last thing remaining of his friend. "I don't know if you're just another bloody scheme of Naraku, and I don't fucking care, either. And I don't know just how you managed to take Miroku's staff -- but I'll make bloody sure you fucking regret ever touching it! KAZE NO KIZU!"

To his great surprise, however, the creature managed to block his attack by merely raising his staff, doubtlessly using the remains of Miroku's powers closed within it. With a scream of rage the hanyou rushed forward, Tessaiga raised to kill the offending youkai. Then, he struck.

Inuyasha stared in shock at the blade of his katana. It had been rather effectively blocked by the staff in the youkai's hands. Regardless of its powers, the staff shouldn't have been able to simply stop Tessaiga like that, unless... A bit stunned, he stepped back. "...Miroku?"

"So you did notice at last," the monk said dryly, only the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Really, Inuyasha, I am shocked. Not even you usually go as far as actually attacking me with the intent to kill. What have I done now to earn your rage directed at me?"

"You reek of youkai," Inuyasha ground out. Although he had stepped back, he did not put Tessaiga away. Here Miroku was, alive and well like he'd _known_ he would be, but suddenly he couldn't be trustful. He'd proven that he was right and Kagome wrong, but now he started to doubt his own beliefs. "Explain."

"Well, what can I say?" Miroku spread his hands in an open gesture of trust and innocence. It seemed that he had no fear for Inuyasha. "The last thing I knew I was dying in your arms. Then I woke up, being carried through the air by some youkai. I wished I could do something about them, when suddenly we were thrown to the ground by a strong gust of wind. The next moment the youkai were torn apart by something that looked like some rather powerful blades of air. For a moment I thought you were there, or that Kagura had somehow returned from dead -- it looked like something between Kaze no Kizu and Fuujin no Mai. At last I was able to get up and staggered into the forest. How long I wandered around, I do not know. Finally I found the battlefield and got back my staff. Along with finding it, I noticed that I now have some interesting... powers." At this, his grasp on the staff tightened momentarily.

Inuyasha's hold on Tessaiga tightened as well. "But _how_ the Hell are you alive?" he demanded. "You fucking died there, I know you did; your ki disappeared completely. Why do you reek of youkai? And what new powers?" A hint of hidden excitement showed up in his eyes at the last question.

"Well, I don't know for sure," sighed the monk. "But I do have a theory. You do know that whenever I sucked in youkai I absorbed their youki, right? That's why I couldn't suck in too many demons at a time. Anyway, all that youkai energy was probably imprisoned in my kazaana. When I died, the kazaana disappeared, releasing the energy within it. That mass of youki then revived me. That's also why you sense a youkai in me -- my human ki has been replaced with demonic, which also explains my added powers. And as for what those powers are, well, I don't have a very clear image yet, but basically I'm like Kagura with a staff instead of a fan. That's because of the winds of the kazaana, I'd guess."

"That sounds reasonable," Inuyasha admitted warily. "But can you prove that you really are Miroku?"

"You transform into a human every new moon," the monk replied calmy. "No enemy knows that."

For a moment Inuyasha still hesitated. Then he sheathed Tessaiga and let out a sigh of relief. "Miroku," he said, almost choking on the name, "it really is you." Before the darkhaired man could react he found himself drawn into a fierce hug. "I knew you weren't dead," the hanyou muttered. "Kagome said that you were, but I knew it wasn't true. That's why I came to look for you..." He now pulled back, smiling weakly.

"Is that why you left the others?" asked Miroku curiously. "Just to look for me?"

"Yes," Inuyasha admitted, a bit embarrassed. "Like I said, Kagome kept saying you were dead and fucking sat me every time I told her otherwise. Sango kept mourning, so... I left." He shrugged a bit.

Miroku smiled a bit sadly. "So it's just the two of us now, then?" he asked.

"So it would seem."

* * *

Sesshoumaru stopped on the edge of a clearing. "I am unimpressed," he said coolly. "The leader of the ookami has been slain, eh?"¨

"I'm not dead yet," growled Kouga. However, as it looked like, he wasn't far from that. Covered with wounds from head to toe, he lay on the ground barely alive. Especially bad the wounds seemed to be on his legs. Guarding his side was a large demonic wolf, eyeing suspiciously the intruders.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. The wolf took a step forward as well, baring its teeth in an attempt to scare away the strangers threatening his pack leader. Rin flinched and whimpered, hiding herself behind Sesshoumaru's legs.

The inu taiyoukai's expression didn't waver, but his hand got nearer to the handle of his katana. "If that wolf as much as growls at the girl, I will not hesitate to send him straight to the next world," he said coldly. "Actually, I think I will kill him anyway. Your wolves have already killed her once."

"Then kill me as well," replied the badly injured ookami. "He is the last survivor of my tribe. If he is killed, there isn't any reason for me to live on." His blue eyes watched the intruder in perfect seriousness.

For a moment Sesshoumaru seemed to consider this. Then he again raised a questioning eyebrow. "You'd give up on getting revenge for your companions?" he asked. "Now, that is nothing like the ookami lord this Sesshoumaru has heard so much about."

The darkhaired man gave a bitter chuckle. "This is not about giving up," he said. "It's about the fact that, should I be left alone, in my current condition I would be an easy game for any stronger youkai passing by."

"Why so?" Again Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "You are, after all, a taiyoukai as well, even though not as strong one as this Sesshoumaru. Few youkai in this area should offer you more than a temporary annoyance, no matter how bad your condition is."

At that, Kouga gave him a dry smile. "It seems that you don't really understand the extent of my injuries. Had my legs been simply torn I would have healed them already. However, the Shikon shards were also taken, and I got some of Naraku's miasma in exchange. My body's doing its best to keep the miasma at bay, but I have hardly enough strength left to even lift my hand." To demonstrate this he weakly raised his hand from the ground. It immediately fell back down, the long, sharp claws useless now.

For a second the inu taiyoukai was silent. Then he snorted a bit. "You will not die by any youkai's hand," he said. "This Sesshoumaru can't even be bothered to slay your little minion, for he undoubtedly will waste away when the last remains of his tribe disappear through your death of your injuries. You hardly can win Naraku's miasma when even his daughter lost the fight to it."

Now, Kouga was silent. Then he said quietly, "If this is to be my fate, so be it." Glancing at the wolf that now just stood by his side, he added, "Ginta here hasn't returned to his human form ever since we lost Hakkaku. If you wanted to destroy my tribe, it would be easy... But you don't want that, do you?"

"What makes you think I would care one way or another about whether you and your ruined tribe live or die?" asked Sesshoumaru. His face stayed just as expressionless as ever.

"If you did not care," Kouga replied, sounding a bit strained -- quite understandable, considering his current condition --, "you would not be here anymore. You would have already left -- most probably after slaying Ginta for scaring the child, leaving me alone to die."

For a moment the silverhaired youkai just watched him, silent and unmoving. Then both thin eyebrows were raised, and a tiny smirk curled the inu's lips. "Clever," he said smoothly. "Quite clever, Kouga of wolves. Might your logic be enough to decipher just why have I deemed your fate worth my time and attention?"

Now, however, the ookami shook his head. "That I don't know. Like you said, I'm indeed dying, so I'm not worth much as an ally. As fighting Naraku is the only thing we have in common, I can't think of anything else that might make you interested in whatever happens to me. Care to enlighten me?"

Again, Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment. Then he said, "No, I don't. However, if you are still alive as this Sesshoumaru returns tomorrow, you shall be told." And, after saying this, he turned around and left, taking the still slightly fearful Rin with him.

* * *

Night had fallen, the last rays of daylight taking Kouga's consciousness with them. Ginta still lay next to him, guarding his leader. When he smelled a youkai approaching, he growled threateningly, baring his teeth.

The threat went almost unnoticed, however. For a moment Sesshoumaru stood on the edge of the clearing, watching silently. Then, he turned around and left again.

* * *

In the morning Sesshoumaru returned, Rin in tow. The sight that greeted them was that of a worried, almost fearful Ginta trying to nudge Kouga awake. Just as Sesshoumaru approached, the ookami's eyes were opened.

"So I am alive," he growled. "So what is it that you want?"

For a moment, Sesshoumaru was silent. Then, however, he set a hand on the handle of his katana. "My sword, Tenseiga, is well capable of killing," he said. "However, it can also heal. You are a mighty youkai to even have survived this long under the effect of Naraku's miasma. If you and your underling join us on our quest to destroy Naraku, this Sesshoumaru shall heal your injuries."

Kouga gave him a hollow laugh. "You really have to ask?" he asked gruffly. "I don't particularly want to die. And after what Naraku did to me, I definitely want to have part in his death. If you really can heal me, do so – my tribe has to be avenged."

"As expected, we have come to an agreement," Sesshoumaru said calmly. "I have to warn you, though – if Rin comes to harm by either you or your wolf, there will be no mercy given."

"Neither given nor expected," Kouga replied. "Now use that sword so that I can get back to my feet!"

* * *

The village head glanced disbelievingly at the two women in front of him. "Are you travelling all by yourself?" he asked. "There are several strong youkai in the forests surrounding our village. All the men are having a hard time keeping them away. It is very unwise for two women to travel alone."

The small kitsune on the shoulder of one of the women jumped to the ground. "And just what do you think I am, eh?" he asked, sounding annoyed. "Some kind of a pet, eh? Hey! Don't you ignore me!"

However, the village head paid no attention to the tiny creature's yells. "Please do remain here at least until you can safely leave. We have heard that a taijiya is travelling around here. Once he comes around, he'd probably be willing to escort you safely through the forest."

The women glanced at each other. Then one of them, dressed in a kimono, said, "We _are_ taijiya." As she saw the disbelieving gaze the man gave her, she sighed. "Look, we did get _here_ unharmed, didn't we? If you could offer us shelter for the night, we'd be grateful. However, tomorrow we shall continue on our way... without escorts." Her companion nodded in agreement.

Now, the village head just sighed, shaking his head. "Do as you will," he said. "However, I fear the worst."

Their conversation never got any further. Just then one of the village men came running to them. "Danna-sama," he panted. "The youkai leader has come out... The taijiya is battling it, but he's in need of help!"

"Gather the men of the village!" the village head barked. "We shall go to aid him. Take the women and children inside! You too, guests," he said, turning towards his guests. "I won't allow you to be hurt."

Now, the one of the women with the most unusual attire, a strange shirt and a skirt too short to be decent, stepped forwards. "No," she said. "_You_ shall go to safety, and _we _will go to aid the taijiya."

"But I can't allow that!" he protested. "If I allowed two weak women to be hurt, my honour would --"

Some time later, he sighed deep as he watched the two women flying towards the battle, seated on a large beast that a moment earlier had been a mere strange-looking kitten. His cheek still stung from the strike he had received. "Well," he said, thinking about the attire the kimono-clad woman had changed to, one that much resembled the one the wandering taijiya was rumoured to wear, "I guess they were taijiya after all."

* * *

"Woah, it's huge!" exclaimed Kagome. Her eyes widened as she watched the indeed enormous demon roaring ahead. "I understand why it's the leader of the youkai. And is that the taijiya?" She pointed at a man's form near the youkai. He was rather tall but seemed pitifully small compared with his opponent. What interested Kagome most, though, was the demon exterminator clothing he was wearing, rather similar to that of Sango and Kohaku, only blue instead of pink or green. "Is he from your village, Sango?"

"I don't know," Sango replied. "It seems probable, with that clothing. Many of us did go around exterminating youkai; some might have been far enough to not even know of the destruction of the village. I can't see him well enough to be sure, though," she then added, glancing at the man.

"Well, we are now close enough," Kagome said. "Drop me here, Kirara! You two can then go to help the man out. Then you'll see whether you know him already or not," she added.

The firecat flew lower, allowing kagome to jump off with her bow and arrows. Then she rushed towards the large youkai with her mistress. Sango threw her boomerang, yelling, "HIRAIKOTSU!"

At the sound of her shout, the man turned around, looking surprised. "Sango?" he asked. "Sango, is that you?" While shouting, he struck the now staggering youkai with his own weapon, a long halberd. Light erupted from the halberd, injuring the youkai. This did not stop it, but the monster certainly slowed down.

"Kureta?" shouted Sango back. "Kami-sama, I haven't see you in ages!" She now got near enough to draw her sword and strike the monster with it. However, the demon's skin was hardly even scratched.

Just then, an arrow came soaring through the air. Sango caught Hiraikotsu and then turned to see the arrow hitting the monster right on the chest. The youkai cried out, one monsterly paw drawn closer to its chest. Seeing this, Sango again threw her boomerang, aiming at the injury caused by Kagome's arrow. She was lucky; the boomerang flew right through the enormous creature, tearing it.

"Accurate as ever, eh, Sango?" shoted the man. "And with a quite powerful friend, too, I see. Well, let's now finish this thing! YUKIRYUU!" He threw his halberd, which went through the hole left by Hiraikotsu and inside the youkai. There it hit exactly what he had aimed for -- the youkai's heart, now unguarded by the thick armour of flesh. The youkai roared in pain.

Kagome ran nearer just in time to see the youkai collapsing with a mighty roar. As she watched in fascination, the man extended his hand and the halberd rematerialized there with a yet another flash of light.

"You got it!" she exclaimed, finally reaching the two taijiya. "So... is he from your village, Sango?"

"Oh, yes," Sango replied. "Kagome, this is Kureta. He is... was one of the best warriors in out village. His halberd, Yukiryuu, is magical; it's been carved from a youkai's bones, like Hiraikotsu. Kureta left the village some time before... well, before _it_."

Kagome nodded seriously, knowing what her friend was talking about. Kureta, however, looked confused. "What are you talking about? And what do you mean, I _was_ one of the best? Have I been surpassed?"

"No, you haven't," Sango replied quietly. "The reason why you are no more among the top warriors of the village is that there is no village." Seeing her childhood friend's shock, she sighed. "The best warriors were all lured into a trap," she told. "I was the only one to escape. Meanwhile, a herd of youkai attacked the village... not one life was spared. I fear that you and I may be the only survivors of your people."

Now, Kureta's expression darkened. "What?" he asked. "What evil being is behind this monstrosity?"

"A youkai by the name of Naraku," Kagome told him, eyes downcast. "He has caused us... other losses as well." As he gave her a questioning glance, she explained, "A while ago some youkai of his caused the death of a dear friend, Miroku -- Sango's fiancé." She glanced at her friend, who looked very sad, biting her lip. "The loss of Miroku caused Inuyasha, another friend of ours, to part ways with us as well. Now Sango and I are travelling by ourselves."

"Hey!" yelled just then a little voice from behind her. "Why are _you_ ignoring me as well? I am here, too, you know!" Shippou ran to the place, stopping beside Kagome. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.

Kureta's reaction to the little youkai's appeareance was shocking. He immediately raised his halberd as if to strike Shippou. "A kitsune," he snarled. "What is that filthy creature doing here?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Kagome in shock, snatching Shippou into her arms. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, you'll have to forgive Kureta," Sango said, seemingly once again over the worst grief over Miroku. "When he was just a child he saw a large kitsune murdering his parents. Ever since he has loathed all kitsunes. But Kureta, Shippou is definitely harmless," she added then.

Shippou shivered, glancing fearfully at the tall man from the safety of Kagome's arms. "Most kitsunes aren't e-evil," he stammered in his defence. "Cunning and de-deceiving, yes, but not e-evil or mu-murderous!"

For a moment the man simply glared at Shippou, not saying a word. Then, he turned his eyes away from the kitsune, seemingly no more interested in him. "Whatever," he said briefly, not sounding like he actually believed the youkai child. "My dear ladies," he then said to Kagome and Sango, "would you oppose if I travelled with you from now on? We appear to have a common enemy now, after all, and surely it would be better to combine our efforts than for each of us to strike out alone."

Needless to say, the women both agreed.

* * *

** Chapter 4:**

Inuyasha and Miroku run into two humans in need of help, but for one of them the help comes too late. This shocks Miroku -- as well as the mere existence of the surviving human. Meanwhile, Rin learns not to fear Ginta. Shippou, on the other hand, learns to fear Kureta.


End file.
